{"id":644793,"date":"2019-06-13T17:12:34","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T17:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"
\"Antonio<\/div>

The world cannot afford "},"modified":"2019-06-13T17:12:34","modified_gmt":"2019-06-13T17:12:34","slug":"un-security-council-to-meet-on-tanker-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2019\/06\/13\/un-security-council-to-meet-on-tanker-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"UN Security Council to meet on tanker attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Antonio<\/div>\n

The world cannot afford a major confrontation in the Gulf, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday, as the Security Council prepared to meet to discuss suspected attacks on two oil tankers in a strategic sea lane.<\/p>\n

The latest incident, the second in the Gulf of Oman in a month, came amid spiralling tensions between Tehran and Washington, which has pointed the finger at Iran over earlier tanker attacks in May.<\/p>\n

At the request of the United States, the Security Council was to meet behind closed doors later Thursday to discuss the situation in the Gulf.<\/p>\n

Guterres said he strongly condemned any attack against civilian vessels.<\/p>\n

\u201cFacts must be established and responsibilities clarified,\u201d the UN secretary-general told a council meeting on UN cooperation with the Arab League.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is something the world cannot afford, it is a major confrontation in the Gulf region.\u201d<\/p>\n

US acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen said it was \u201cunacceptable for any party to attack commercial shipping,\u201d stopping short blaming Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cIran remains the most significant threat to regional peace and security, engaged in numerous malign activities in the region,\u201d he told the council.<\/p>\n

The Norwegian Maritime Authority said three explosions were Thursday reported on board the Norwegian-owned tanker Front Altair after it was \u201cattacked\u201d along with the Singapore-owned ship Kokuka Courageous.<\/p>\n

Iran said its navy had rescued 44 crew members after the two vessels, which were carrying highly flammable material, caught fire.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Start a fire \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned both the targeting of oil tankers and attacks against Saudi Arabia were \u201cdangerous developments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yemen\u2019s Iran-aligned Huthi rebels said they had fired missiles on an airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome parties in the region are trying to instigate fires in our region and we must be aware of that,\u201d Gheit told the council.<\/p>\n

He urged the UN body to \u201cact against those responsible to maintain security and stability in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

On May 12, four oil tankers \u2014 two Saudi, one Norwegian and one Emirati \u2014 were damaged in still unexplained attacks in the Gulf of Oman off the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n

The UAE last week said initial findings of its investigation pointed to the likelihood that a \u201cstate actor\u201d was behind the bombings, but did not specifically blame Iran.<\/p>\n

The preliminary findings were presented to the council which may consider a response.<\/p>\n

These showed that it was \u201chighly likely\u201d that four Limpet mines, which are magnetically attached to a ship\u2019s hull, were used in the attacks, placed by trained divers who were deployed from fast boats.<\/p>\n

US National Security Advisor John Bolton has said \u201cthere\u2019s no doubt\u201d that Iran was responsible for last month\u2019s attacks on the tankers.<\/p>\n

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